


The Smell Of Smoke

by Visionsofdazzlingrooms



Series: Blue Bloods: Episode Fix [21]
Category: Blue Bloods (TV)
Genre: 7x22, Comfort, Crying, Episode Tag, Episode: s07e22 The Thin Blue Line, F/M, Family, Shopping, Target, everyone loves target, house fire, just in case, request, spoilers?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-21 05:47:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30017067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Visionsofdazzlingrooms/pseuds/Visionsofdazzlingrooms
Summary: When tragedy strikes Danny’s family, will they be able to rise from the darkness? Will he and his wife keep the brave faces they’ve put on for their kids, or will they crumble? How will they go on after this tragedy?
Relationships: Danny Reagan/Linda Reagan
Series: Blue Bloods: Episode Fix [21]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1983686
Comments: 14
Kudos: 3





	The Smell Of Smoke

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BridgetP](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BridgetP/gifts).



> Thank you to BridgetP for kicking this in the rear! I don’t think I’d have finished this draft is she hadn’t requested it. 
> 
> This is an in between scene- after the house fire and before the dinner. (Bridget and I decided the family dinner was the night after the fire) 
> 
> Also please check out the other story I did for this episode- A House Is Not A Home. I suppose this could be a companion piece to that

The water that once was warm was now cold and stinging against her shaking hands. Her lip was plump from biting it, and she was sure she was tasting blood. Her nails scratched at the top of her hands, wanting nothing more than to smell differently, than to live as she had been, than to be in her own bed in her own home. 

Linda swiped her hair away from her face with a wet, soapy hand. She needed the smell of smoke to get out, out, out! It had to come out of her hair, out of the only pair of clothes she now owned, out of her nose, out of her hands, out out out! Her tears were gaining speed, her breathing becoming ragged. She couldn’t see the sink or the soap anymore as tears blurred her vision. Her head felt light and heavy at the same time, and all she wanted to do was turn back time. 

“Linda?” 

She almost jumped to the ceiling when she heard her husband’s smooth voice. When had he walked into the bathroom?

“Honey, are you okay?” Cautiously, Danny placed a hand on her shoulder. In the dim light, he saw how pink and raw her hands were. He knew there’d be scratch marks in the morning. “You’ve cleaned them enough.”

“No, I haven’t.” Her voice was strained and hoarse. 

“Yes, you have.” He helped wash the remaining soap from her hands, then turned the water on. He grabbed the hand towel from the rack and dried her hands clean. “Why don’t you come back to bed?”

“I can’t- can’t sleep.”

“Why not?” It was a stupid question, he knew it. 

Linda didn’t answer for a little while. Quietly, with her head hung, she whispered, “why’d they have to burn down our house?!”

“I don’t know.” His voice was equally quiet. He watched her run her nose, then wrench her hand away as if it was on fire. She gagged, and the tears started up again. He watched her press her back against the wall, and sink to the floor. “Linda?”

“I- I didn’t know where you were.” Linda’s voice and sobs got louder with every few words. “I- I didn’t know if, if you were at work or- or in... in the house! And I got so scared! Because I can’t- Jack and Sean-“

Danny pulled her into a hug, “I’m here. The boys are here. We’re all alive.” He had been thinking the same thing when he heard his address over the radio. He had no idea if he had lost the three people he loved the most in one foul swoop.

“We just wanted pizza!” 

He didn’t know what to say to that, or anything else. What could he possible say or do to make her feel better? As he held her, he cried too, and she held him tighter. He had no idea how long they sat together in the bathroom, just crying and holding each other. 

Linda started to shiver from the sobs, her breathing getting very rapid. She didn’t understand what Danny said to her, and barely registered him bringing her to her feet, and guiding her to his room. She sat down on the bed, and was handed a thermos. 

“Drink it.” Danny’s voice was hoarse now from crying, and honestly he needed to cry some more, but he had to take care of his wife first and foremost. 

Once she was calmed down and the thermos back on the floor, he kissed her forehead. It was probably just stuck in his nose, but her hair smelled like fire. He tried not to think too much about it as he kissed her forehead again. “I’m going to get some sinus pills for you, and refill your thermos.”

“Thank you.”

“Try to relax.”

Linda slid under the covers and got comfortable, as per Danny’s instructions. She counted the seconds until he came back; he was gone just under two minutes. 

“Here,” Danny touched her shoulder and she sat up some to take the pills. He kissed her cheek and walked over to his side of his bed, and slid beneath the covers. He held his wife closely, “I love you.”

“I love you more.”

“I love you most.”

**********

“How much are we allowed to get?” Jack asked his Mom as they parked in the parking lot of Target. 

“Essentials. Church clothes, school clothes, underwear.” Linda sounded tired, and Danny placed a hand on her knee. She smiled slightly, sighing, trying to keep the tears inside. 

“Can we go in now?” Sean wondered, not wanting his Mom to cry again. He had heard her sobbing loudly and uncontrollably last night in the bathroom. He and Jack slept in the same room after that. 

“Yeah,” Danny opened his door, and the family followed suit. “Maybe we can get some hot pretzels.”

A soft pretzel did sound good, Linda thought as the boys looked at her hopefully. “Only after we’ve gotten everything.”

Once in the store, the boys went directly to the teenage boy aisle to pick out their clothes. Danny grasped Linda’s hand, “stay with me?”

She nodded, not wanting to be away from him either. She really didn’t want to be away from the boys, but they were kind of funny about her watching them buy underwear and such. “I don’t like them being that far away.”

‘Me neither’ was Danny’s first thought. He kissed Linda’s temple, “they’ll be okay.”

The shopping trip was going well until Linda smelled smoke and couldn’t find the family. As always with Target shopping, they wandered off, looking at things they definitely didn’t need. She whirled around, a soft pink sweater in her hand, looking for her husband. The cart was gone, and she didn’t know where he family was, and there was smoke. “Danny?” 

Linda tried not to panic in the middle of Target; instead she walked to the display with the jeans and picked out three pairs: light wash, medium wash, and white jeans. She sighed loudly when she saw the back of Danny. She quickly walked up to him, grabbing his arm. “Honey, I smell smoke!”

“It’s popcorn burning; I checked.” That was why she couldn’t find him. He must’ve smelled it first and went to investigate. He looked at what she had in her arms, “that it?”

She nodded, putting the items with the rest of her new clothes in the cart. “Onto yours now?”

***********

It was lunchtime by the time the family had gotten and payed for all their things. So they ordered pizza and pretzels with cheesy sauce, and had lunch in the small cafe area. 

Linda knew Danny hadn’t fully processed what happened, and he hadn’t fully grieved yet. He was too busy making sure she didn’t have a heart attack; but when reality did hit, she was going to be right there next to him, supporting him no matter what. She took his hand and smiled, and he returned the gesture. 

“Are we going to another store after this?” Sean wondered, pizza sauce on the corner of his mouth. 

“We can,” Linda nodded, knowing they didn’t get all that they needed or wanted. 

********** 

Linda looked at Danny the next night as he struggled with saying Grace. 

“Bless us, Oh Lord.... and these thy gifts,” Danny sighed, feeling the tearful lump in his throat. He swallowed, trying not to cry in front of the family. He needed to be- he had to be- strong. 

“Which we are about to receive,” Linda continued the prayer, watching her husband. 

The family joined in, all supporting Danny and his family. “Through thy bounty, through Christ our Lord, amen.”

Danny kissed Linda’s hand after the blessing, silently thanking her for everything she had and would do through their uncertain future.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you like it! <3


End file.
